Wire-insulation cutter and stripper



Apr. 24, 1923. 1,452,634

- B. F. T. BELL WIRE INSULATION CUTTER AND STRIPPER Filed Aug. 23, 1922 Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

UNITED STATES BENJAMIN FRANK 'r. BELL, or TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

. WIRE-INSULATION CUTTER AND STRIPPER.

Application filed August 28, 1922. Serial No. 583,813.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN FRANK T.

BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Taunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVire-Insulation Cutters and Strippers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

' This invention relates to means for stripping insulation from wires, and has for its object to provide a device of this character capable of readily removing any quantity of insulation from the end of the wire without penetrating the wire.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device of this character wherein the insulation is cut from around the wire without cutting the wire, and then forced from the Wire, while the cutters are in their closed positions.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a device of this character including a pair of cutters, the cutters having recesses in their cutting edges, the edges of said recesses being sharpened to cut insulation surrounding the wire, together with the main cutting edges of the cutters, said recesses cooperating to provide an opening for the reception of the wire to prevent severing of the wire upon cutting of the insulation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of parts to behereinafter more particularly described, fully claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wire insulation cutter and stripper constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the movable cutter.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a base, said base having an extension 6 projecting from the upper portion thereof. The top 7 of the base is provided with a socket 8 adapted to receive a cutter 9, the end 10 of the cutter being sharpened for cutting insulation, the face 11 ofthe cutting edge being beveled to a reater extent than the face 12 so as to permit a clean cut.

Recesses 13 are provided in the central portion of the cutting edge of the cutter, the edges of said recesses being sharpened to cut insulation. The receses 13 are intended to receive the wires from which the insulation is to be cut, to prevent cutting of the wires by the cutters. Projecting from the extension 6, outwardly and over the top 7 of the base is a bracket 14. having a socket 15 extending longitudinally thereof and substantially registering with the socket 8 of the base, the socket being closed by a plate 16 which extends over one face of the bracket.

Slidable in the socket 15 is a cutter 17, said cutter extending through the socket and having its end 18 sharpened to provide a cutting edge, the beveled face 19 of the cuttlng edge being greater than the bevel of the face 20, said beveled face 19 cooperating with the beveled face 11 of the cutter 9 to permit a clean cut of the insulation.

The central portion of the cutting edge of the cutter 17, similar to the cutter 9, is provlded with recesses 21, the edges of said recesses being sharpened. The recesses 21 and 13 cooperate to provide openings for the passage of the wires. The central portion of the cutter 17 is provided with a longitudinal slot 22 adapted to receive a screw 23 which passed through the cover-16 and the bracket to limit upward movement of the cutter.

Projecting from the upper end of the extension 6 remote from the bracket 14 is an arm 24 to which an operating lever 25 is pivoted, Said lever having a lug 26 depending therefrom inwardly of the pivoted end of the lever to which the end 27 of the cutter 17 is pivoted. A spring 28 is mounted on the cutter 17, said spring engaging the top of the bracket 14 and the lever 25 so as to normally urge the cutter 17 upwardly and away from the cutter 9. The end of the lever 25 is provided with a handle 29 by means of which the device may be actuated.

The device is capable of removing insulation from wires of various diameters without severing the wires. This is possible through the provision of an arm 30, said arm being secured to the bracket 14. the end of the arm being bifurcated for the recepllu tion of the lever. Threaded in the bight portion of the bifurcation is an adjusting screw 31. This screw may be rotated so as to increase or decrease the downward stroke of the cutter by providing a stop for the lever and in this way decreasing or increasing the distance between the cutting edges of the cutters so that the device may be adjusted to suit the diameter of the wire.

In connection with this device, a wire cutter is used, said cutter comprising a socket 32 which is detachably secured to one face of the extension 6, a cutter 33 being slidable in the socket, said cutter having a spring 34 on one end thereof, the spring engaging the top of the socket member and the lower face of a handle 35 carried by the end of the cutter. Movement of the cutter upwardly in the socket is limited by an adjusting screw 36, said screw operating in a slot 37 provided in the cutter 33. In the use of the cutter, a table 38 is provided, said table being detachably connected to the base 5 by means of screws. The table has a recess 39 in the portion thereof disposed immediately beneath the cutting edge of the cutter 33. By this means, the wire may first be severed by the cutter 33 before the insulation is removed.

After the wire has been out, the end of the wire is placed between the cutters or passed through the cutters until the wire reaches the point where it is desired to remove the insulation. The lever is then depressed, causing the cutters 17 and 9 to not only sever the outer portions of the insulation, but the portions surrounding the wire, Without penetrating the surface of the wire or injuring the wire in any manner. As previousl stated, in view of the beveled faces 19 an 11, a clean cut edge is possible. After the insulation has been cut it is only necessary, while the cutters are still in their closed positions, to pull the wire through the cutters so as to ermit the cutters to strip the insulation rom the ends 'of the wire thereby providing a clean uninsulated wire end.

As shown in Figure 2, if desired, the device may be operated by foot through the provision of a base plate 40, having cars 41 proi'ecting therefrom adapted, to receive a peda 42. The pedal has 8. lug 43 projecting therefrom, said lug being disposed above the lug 44 carried b the base plate. A spring 45 surrounds t 1e lugs 43 and 44 and tends to normally urge the pedal upwardly. The pedal may be secured to the floor adjacent the support on which the base 5 is disposed. A rod 46 is pivoted to the pedal between the ears 41 and the lug 43, the opposite end of the rod being pivotally connected to the lever 25. It is possible to use the rod and pedal in connection with the handle 29 so that the device may be operated either wa rom the foregoing it will be readily seen that this invention provides a novel form of insulation stripper which permits the insulation to be easily, quickly and efficiently removed, and at the same time eliminates frayed insulation ends. All of these features are possessed by a device that is composed of a small number of parts, which when assembled occupy a small space.

What is claimed is:-

A wire insulation cutter and stripper comprising a base member having a socket in its upper portion, a stationary cutter mounted in said socket, a bracket carried by the base and extending over a portion of the top of the base, said bracket being provided with a socket, said socket terminating above the stationary cutter, a movable cutter slidable in said socket, the confronting edges of said cutters being sharpened, the central portion of each cutter being provided with a recess,

said recesses coacting to receive a wire, an

operating lever pivoted to the bracket, the opposite end of said movable cutter being pivotally connected to the lever, and means carried by the bracket for limiting the movement of the lever and the movable cutter.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

B. FRANK T. BELL. 

